Continuing with my article which I wrote yesterday about Virat Kohli’s removal as captain, I read a statement of Sourav Ganguly which said he had spoken to
Virat Kohli not to step down as T20 captain but the latter did not budge - hence the selectors decided to remove him as captain of ODIs too as they cannot have two white ball captains in two formats - which is too much of leadership.
I find this baffling to why can’t there be two captains in white ball format. How can there be confusion as fifty per cent of the squad which plays the ODI does not play the T20 format - so when players can be different why can’t there be a separate captain. Players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Jasprit
Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant have been part of both the white ball squad and all are experienced players and the other players are picked for each format according to the form and performance.
You have the same playing the Test format and Virat is already leading them so why can’t he lead them in ODI format. Moreover, only after the fans expressed their frustration did Ganguly come out with a statement.
Kohli had announced he would be stepping down as T20 captain before the World Cup and the selectors had enough time even after the World Cup to make a proper announcement of not having Kohli as captain.
Barring MS Dhoni, no other captain, no one even comes close to the record of Kohli who has been successful in the ODI format by a long way and I am afraid the selectors have not handled this situation in a sensible way. Proper communication is the right way and the word had already come out on social media that Kohli might be axed as ODI captain, then why was not a proper press conference held to announce this change of captaincy.
I hope Kohli will take this on his chin and move forward and let his batting do the talking in the white ball format - which will be the key for Team India in bringing home the World Cup when it happens next year.
- Cricket enthusiast Anis Sajan is the Vice Chairman of Danube Group
